Spliced paper reed



Dec.3-1", 1929. G. B. AMBLER SPLICED PAPER REED Filed Nov. 23 192'? v aJ 4 eflw 3 i Patented Dec. 31, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGEB. AMBLER, OF LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO F. A. WHITNEYCARRIAGE COMPANY, OF LEOMINSTEE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS SPLICED PAPER REED Application filed November 23, 1927.Serial No. 235,241.

This invention relates to paper reed and to the splicing of the same andthe object is to provide a reed of indefinite length independently ofthe limitation on the length 1n which it can or may be twisted as aunitary piece, which indefinite length of reed is Well adapted for usein looms.

My invention will be well understood by reference to the followingdescription of an illustrative embodiment thereof taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings,

wherein:

Fig.1 is a side elevation of a reel of reed, part being drawn off andbroken away to show successive splices;

Fig. 2 is a View of one end of a length of reed to be splicedillustrating the first step of a preferred method;

Fig. 3 is a similar View illustrating a later step; and

Fig. 4 is a view of the completed splice.

Paper reed, commercially known as fiber, and consisting of a tightlytwisted strip of paper compacted with suitable size, as, for r instance,is described in the patents to Shaw 731,714 and 731,715, June 23, 1903,is widely used in the manufacture of wickerware articles such as babycarriages and reed furniture. For such uses it is customarily woven inlarge webs on power looms. One such loom as noW being used commerciallyunder my supervision is adapted to handle reels containing ninety poundsof fiber. The twisted reed, however. can be manufactured in an unbrokenlength of only about three pounds and thus a full reel may contain atleast thirty knots and each knot is likely to cause stoppage of the loomeither accidental or deliberate to prevent a blemish in the fabric.

I am aware that various attempts to piece together lengths of fiber endto end, particularly by means of metal sleeves, have been proposed, butthese have not been satisfac- LL metal or like extraneous material isused;

tory and have at best merely minimized thethe location of the splice,and one in which the exposed ends all point in the same direction. Thisdirection in use would be away from the direction of movement of thewarps of the drawings, I. have there illustrated a.

strand 5 of paper reed twisted tightly on itself. By this I do not meanto exclude the possibility of a core within the strand although I preferto utilize a homogeneous reed, but characterize a compact body havingthe general characteristics of the one-piece integral fiber reed as nowcommonly known and used. To splice this length of reed 5 to' an adjacentlength I preferably form a sort of terminal socket therein and as aconvenient method of so doing I may slightly untwist the reed for ashort distance adjacent one end as illustrated at 7 in Fig. 2, thisbeing effected by grasping the reed at opposite sides of this locationand applying an untwisting strain thereto, as indicated by the arrows.The reed may then be severed along the line 9 and the short enddiscarded. The untwisted portion of the longer end forms a sort of opensocket 11 illustrated in, c

Fig. 3 which may be opened and shaped, if desired, by inserting asuitable pointed instrument 13 therein, as illustrated in that figure.The twisted and compacted end of an adjacent length of fiber 15 may bedipped in glue and inserted into the open end of this socket. The wallsof the socket may then be compacted around and about the end of theadjacent length of fabric, this being conveniently effected by smoothingthe same thereabout as if to reestablish the original twist or lay ofthe end, and held by suitable clamps until the adhesive sets. Untwistingthe end of the reed exposes relatively flat portions of the paper stripof which it is composed to.

The strength of the which provides but a slight enlargement at i whichthe glue adheres and which may be pressed down securely on the end ofthe other piece. As is illustrated in Fig. 1, the splices, s, are madeserially so that each length (except the terminal length) of any givencoil or supply has a following end, the material of which embraces thecompacted leading end of the subsequent length, which end telescopeswithin such following end of the suc ceeding length. As is apparent fromFig. 4:, the splice forms but a small enlargement of the strand, issmooth with no abrupt shoulders, the exposed ends are all pointed in thesame direction, in use to the rear, and the compound strand thusproduced is well adapted for use in weaving operations.

"In the case where the supply of reed is knotted as is now customary theloom must be stopped when a knot is. encountered, the knot cut out, and,in the case of the filling strand, the short length of pick thus left inthe fabric drawn out and thrown away. This necessitates the stopping ofthe take-up for this pick and for the next following one so that thefresh filling strand may be put into the proper shed and no sleasinessin the fabric result. By the use of reed spliced as herein described notonly is this labor and the stoppage of the machine avoided, but a veryconsiderable waste of stock is done away with.

I have described fully the particular embodiment of my invention shownby way of example in the accompanying drawings: It will be understoodthat what I have thus illustrated and described in detail is a preferredembodiment of my invention which, however, is not limited to the exactprocedure and arrangement shown. What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent I shall express in the following claims.

Claims:

1. Twisted paper reed made up from a plurality of lengths, the end ofone length telescoped within. and adhesively secured to the end of anadjoining length and the joints between the lengths all pointing in thesame direction.

2. Twisted paper reed made up from a plurality of lengths, each length,other than a terminal length, having a tightly compacted body and havingan end portion adhesively secured around and about the compacted end ofa following length and holding the same in alignment with said body.

3. Twisted paper reed made up from a plurality of lengths united byhomogeneous, adhesively formed splices approximating in bulk the body ofthe reed and having all the exposed end surfaces in said splicespointing in the Same direction throughout the length of the reed.

4:. A spliced paper reed comprising a piece having a body and endtwisted on itself and an ad o1n1ng piece having a body twisted on itselfand an end twisted over and about the end of the first piece andadhering thereto.

5. A spliced paper reed comprising a piece having a body twisted onitself and having the material at the end thereof separated from theaxis, lying around and about the coaXially presented twisted end of anadjacent piece and adhering thereto.

6. A spliced paper reed comprising two pieces having body portions eachtwisted on itself, the twist of the end of one piece being unlaid toprovide relatively fiat portions, said portions being spread over andclosely secured by adhesive to the end of the other piece.

7. A method of splicing paper reed which consists in untwisting the endof one piece to provide a socket and compacting and ad hesively securingthe walls of said socket about the twisted end of another piece.-

8. A method of splicing paper reed which consists in untwisting a partof one piece, severing the untwisted portion to provide a socket andcompacting and adhesively securing the walls of said socket about thetwisted end of another piece.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE B. AMBLE'R.

